Railroad tie



SePf- 2l, 1954 z. FRANJl-:Tlc 2,689,687

RAILROAD TIE Filed sept. 12. 195o s sheets-sheet 1 A frQA/Ex Sept 2l, 1954 z. FRANJE'rlc 2,689,687

RAILROAD TIE Filed Sept. 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYLH. uw

Sept 2l, 1954 z. FRANJL-:Tlc 2,689,687

RAILROAD TIE Filed Sept. l2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet .'5

IN V EN TOR. l Z'P/. l/ WAM/776' Wm 9. uw.

'oak mostly used for railroad ties.

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT yFFICE RAILROAD TIE Zorislav Franjeti, Buenos Aires, Argentina Application September 12, 1950, Serial No. 184,499 7 Claims. (Cl. 23S- 79) This invention relates to railroad ties or sleepers, and more particularly to ties or sleepers made of concrete.

As is well known, maintenance and replacement of the ties is a substantial item in the budget of any railroad administration. Various attempts have been made to use concrete ties instead of wooden ties by reason of the high price and the comparatively limited life time of wooden ties. Also, there is a general shortage of seasoned The use of concrete ties, as hitherto known, was not very successful due to the considerable weight of such ties and insufficient resistance to the static and dynamic loads to which a tie is exposed. Static loads, however high, can be comparatively easily controlled since they can be calculated with sufficient accuracy. However, there are no known methods of calculating the dynamic loads with satisfactory accuracy due to the variables to be considered such as the compactness and the type of road bed, its maintenance, the type of rails used, etc. As a result, concrete ties of conventional design tend to develop longitudinal cracks, particularly at or near the holes drilled for the bolts used for anchoring the rails.

Another problem encountered with conventional concrete ties is the attachment of the rails to the ties. In this connection it should be kept in mind that bolts, screws clamping plates and other elements of the fastening means are rather crude mass production items for which` rather large tolerances must be expected. As a result, the bolts will often t the tie holes either too tightly or not tightly enough. In the rst case, the assembly is difficult and application of .force may crack the tie and in the latter case, the varying dynamic loads will gradually widen the clearance between the holes and the bolt shafts until the entire joint is destroyed after a comparatively short time so that it must be repaired or replaced.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved concrete tie of the general type, above referred to, which is capable of resisting the occurring static and dynamic loads for an economic period of time and the fastening means of which will remain practically permanently serviceable or at least for a period of time far in excess of the life time of the fastening or anchoring means of conventional ties.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved tie the elasticity and resistance of which are enhanced by a longitudinal and transverse prestressed or pretensed reinforcement of the concrete body of the tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved concrete tie the fastening means of which permit a convenient adaptation to variations in the gauge of the track, for instance in curves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved concrete tie the fastening means of which include elements that can be easily replaced and are practically the only ones which are subject towear and tear. This has the important advantage that repairs, if any, can be made at a minimum of costs and time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved concrete tie which is so anchored to the road bed that lateral sliding of the tie is prevented.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims.

The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 9,234 filed February 18, 1948 and now abandoned.

In the accompanying drawing several now preferred embodiments of the invention are showny by way of illustration and not :by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a concrete tie according to the invention without the anchoring means for the rails.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a tie according to the invention showing the anchoring means for a rail in exploded and assembled position respectively.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 showing the anchoring means in exploded position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of one of the elements of the anchoring means.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are plan views of differently sized elements of the type shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of a railroad tie according to the invention.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the tie according to Fig. 10, and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective View of a tie according to the invention showing rails anchored to the tie.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the embodiment of the invention according to these figures comprises a hollow tubular concrete member l0. This member may take various shapes but it has been found that a member having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section is particularly suitable. The walls of concrete member l0 have preferably a uniform thickness and all the inner and outer edges of the member are rounded to avoid the development of fissures and cracks during transportation and handling.

To facilitate carrying of the tie, a grip or handle Il is preferably embedded in the lower face edge of the tie at each end thereof.

One or more Vtransverse ribs l2 protruding from the base of the tie serve to prevent lateral sliding of a tie placed upon the road bed.

To increase the resistance of a tie to the static and dynamic loads to which a tie is exposed, when in use, longitudinal prestressed or pretensed rods |73 are embedded in the concrete body. Number, strength and distribution of these rods are selected according to the requirements of a specic application. The concrete member is further reinforced by prestressed or pretensed transverse rods I4 taking the form of substantially trapezoidal loops. The plane of these loops is preferably slanted relative to the plane of a vertical cross-section through the tie, as can best be seen on Fig. 2.

VFor the purpose of anchoring the rails to the tie, two pairs of holes I5, I6 and Il, I8 respectively are provided facing each other and spaced apart corresponding to the width of the base flange of a rail to be anchored to the tie. Holes II and I6, I8 respectively are preferably aligned parallel to the tie axis while holes I5, IB and Il, I8 respectively are aligned transversely to the tie axis. However, it should be understood that in certain instances one pair of longitudinally aligned holes facing each other is sufficient and that also the number of holes at each side of the rail flange does not have to be equal.

Holes I5 to I8 are elongated in the direction of the tie axis and slightly tapered toward the face side of the upper wall of concrete member I0 for a purpose which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Each of the holes is lined with a metal sheathing I9 and 20 respectively to protect the concrete walls defining these holes against wear and tear. Sheathings I9 and 20 end at both ends in flanges 2 I, 22 and 23, 2d respectively which abut against the wall portions of concrete member IIJ adjacent to the holes to protect the said Wall portions also against damage by the occurring static and dynamic loads. The sheathing of the holes can be anchored to the concrete material by any suitable means, for instance by hook like projections which can be clearly seen in Fig. 5. This figure also shows that the concrete portion between two holes such as I5 and IS is preferably completely lined with metal sheathing 25 since this portion of the tie is exposed to particularly heavy loads.

The entire face portion of the concrete member adjacent to the holes I5, I6 and Il, I8 respectively is preferably somewhat recessed, as can best be seen on Fig. 5, so that flanges 2i and 23 and sheathing 25 are slightly below the level of the general plane of the face of member Iii.

The elongated holes serve to receive rail fastening bolts, generally designated by 30. Each of these bolts has a threaded cylindrical shaft portion 3! and a smooth shaft portion 32 slightly tapered or conical toward the tip of the shaft. The head 33 of the bolts is oblong or elongated and has a cross-section corresponding substantially to the widest cross-section of the elongated holes so that the bolt heads can be passed through the holes from the top side of the tie. The face of the tip of each bolt shaft is preferably provided with a notch 3d parallel to the long axis of head 33 the position of the head of an inserted bolt is visible from the outside for the purpose of placing the head in a position overhanging the respective hole.

To prevent turning of the bolts within the elongated holes during the tightening operation, a guiding groove 35 and 36 respectively is provided for each two coacting holes I5, I'I and I6, I8 respectively. These guiding grooves are dimensioned to receive the respective bolt heads.

The remaining space between each bolt shaft and the walls of the respective elongated hole or more specifically of the sheathing thereof is filled by two complementary inserts 3l and 38. The shape of these inserts can be best seen on Fig. 6. Each insert has an oblong peripheral portion 39 fitting approximately one half of the wall of an elongated hole and a semi-circular peripheral portion 40. The two semi-circular peripheral portions of two inserts complement each other to form a cylindrical hole. These cylindrical holes permit passage of the threaded shaft portion 3| of a bolt but do not allow a free passage of a conical shaft portion 32. Each two .corresponding inserts, that is inserts 31 and inserts 38 respectively, are preferably joined by a plate member 4I secured by any suitable means to the faces of the inserts or integral therewith. This plate member abuts upon the upper anges of sheathings I9 and 20 and upon sheathing 25 when the inserts are inserted in the respective holes so that the plate members are substantially flush with the face side of the top wall of concrete member IIJ.

As can best be seen on Fig. 4, the threaded shaft portion of a bolt protrudes from the concrete member when the bolt is inserted and serves to fasten a rail to the tie. A rail can be anchored to the tie by any means, conventional or not conventional, suitable for this purpose. There are shown in Figs. 4 and 5 clamping plates Q2 and d3 respectively which can be held in position by means of nuts 44 and I5 respectively. Spring washers I6 and 47 are preferably interposed between a nut and a clamping plate. Two wedges 43S and i9 are preferably provided for each screw joint to produce a strong clamping action between the respective clamping plates and the base ange 5t of a conventional rail 5I.

A lining plate or board 52 made of wood or a suitable tough synthetic fiber may be inserted between a rail and the concrete member to transmit the occurring static and dynamic loads as resiliently as possible to the tie.

Anchoring of a rail to a tie according to the invention, as hereinbefore described, is carried out as follows:

Let it be assumed that rail 5I has been placed in position upon the tie and cushioning board 5g. Then, the bolts are inserted and so aligned that their respective heads are received by grooves 35 and 36 respectively. The inserts 3l andSS are now fitted in the elongated holes and the rail ange is `clamped down by means of the clamping plate and the Wedges in a manner which will be obvious from the previous description and an inspection of Fig. 4. It will further be apparent from the previous description that the conical shaft portions 32 of the bolts, as they are pulled into the cylindrical holes formed by the complementary inserts 3l and 38 during the tightening of the nuts, will force the inserts against the also conical walls of the elongatedholes thereby filling out the holes completely so that the desired close and tight connection is obtained. The right hand side of Fig. 4 clearly indicates the deformation the inserts undergo during the tightening operation. l

It will be evident that the tight connection attained by the invention effectively counteracts a dangerous and undesirable widening of the holes for the bolts as a result of the continuous impacts to which the screw joints are subjected.

It will further be obvious that the complementary inserts are the parts exposed to the greatest wear and tear and are, hence, the most likely ones to wear out. However, it will also be obvious that these inserts can be replaced conveniently and at little expense if the need arises.

The provision of complementary inserts has the further advantage that these inserts permit a simple and convenient adjustment of the track gauge within certain limits. Such adjustment of the track gauge is for instance necessary in curves. For purpose of adjustment of the track gauge, differently dimensioned inserts are provided. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show three different inserts. Each of the inserts according to these figures has a semi-circular peripheral inner wall portion 40. The semi-circular peripheral inner wall portions are equally dimensioned but the peripheral outer wall portions of the inserts have different long axes. The different outer wall portions designated by 39, 39 and 39" are indicated by dashed lines. As will be apparent, the position of the center axis of the circular hole formed by two complementary inserts can be varied relative to the outline of an elongated hole by combining different inserts. For instance, a rail will be fixed in a middle position by combining two inserts according to Fig. 8 and in an inwardly or outwardly shifted position by combining inserts according to Figs. 7 and 9 depending upon whether the wider insert is placed at the inside of the outside relative to the rail flange.

The tie according to Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is basically the same as has been described in connection with the previous gures so that these figures will be understandable without detailed description. It suffices to say that the rail is positioned by means of a ribbed plate 69 having ribs 6| and 62 between which rail flange 5B is placed. Ribbed plate 69 again rests upon a resilient lining plate 63 which in turn is supported by the concrete member I9. Clamps B4 and 65 reach over ribs 6| and 62 and hold the rails in position when tightened by means of the bolts and nuts.

The walls of the elongated holes and the smooth shaft portions are again tapered to obtain a perfectly tight joint.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention it `will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new andY desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastening arrangement for detachably anchoring a railroad rail flange at the base to a hollow concrete tie, said fastening arrangement comprising an elongated concrete member having through its rail supporting wall at least one pair of holes elongated parallel to the tie axis and longitudinally spaced corresponding to the width of a rail flange, the walls of said elongated holes being slightly tapered toward the top side of said supporting member wall, a pair of complementary inserts for each of said holes, each of said inserts having a cross-sectional peripheral portion fitting substantially one half of the periphery of an elongated hole and a peripheral portion forming a semi-circle, the semi-circular peripheral portions of a pair of inserts fitted in one of said elongated holes complementing one the other to form a circular hole for the reception of a screw bolt, a headed bolt for each elongated hole having an upper threaded shaft portion and a lower smooth shaft portion, said upper shaft portion being cylindrical and said lower shaft portion being slightly tapered toward the tip of the shaft, the head of each bolt having an oblong crosssection corresponding to the widest cross-section of said elongated holes for passing the bolt heads through the said holes from the top side of said tie, the length of the shaft of each bolt being in excess of the thickness of the aforesaid supporting member wall, and a clamping plate adapted to be secured upon the portion of the bolt shaft protruding from one of said circular holes formed between two complementary inserts, the relative incline of said elongated holes and said smooth shaft portion being selected so as to force the respective peripheral portions of the inserts against the walls of the respective elongated hole upon tightening of a clamping plate.

2. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 1, in combination with a plurality of complementary inserts having peripheral outer wall portions with'different long axes for varying, by combining different inserts, the position of the center axis of a circular hole formed by two inserts in complementary position relative to the long axis of the said two complementary inserts.

3. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 1, wherein said rail supporting wall member has a groove in its inner side, said groove being shaped and arranged to receive a bolt head for preventing rotation of the bolt shaft within the respective circular hole.

4. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 3, wherein the face of each bolt shaft has a notch parallel to the long axis of the oblong head of the bolt.

5. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 1, in combination with a metal sheathing lining the walls of each of said elongated holes.

6. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 5, wherein said sheathing is flanged at each end, said flanges abutting against the wall portions of the concrete member adjacent to the respective hole.

7. A fastening arrangement as described in claim 1, wherein the corresponding inserts of two pairs of complementary inserts are joined at their faces to a plate member, said plateV member having two semi-circular marginal recesses disposed concentrically with the respective .semi-circular peripheral portions of the said inserts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 642,301 Czigler Jan. 30, 1900 943,198 McDonald Dec. 14, 1909 1,047,062 Innes Dec. 10, 1912 1,619,757 Pelkey Mar. 1, 1927 1,635,816 Brown July 12, 1927 2,080,074 Freyssinet et al May 11, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 394,127 Great Britain June 22, 1933 

